Pipe aligning device



May 2, 1939. J. GARDINER PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ FIG. 2

JOHN GARDINER 2 N VE N TOR A ORNEY 'May 2, 1939. J. GARDINER PIPE ALIGNING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN GAR DINER p N TOR /a,u& Cd.

ATT NE) Patented May 2, 1939 2,156,651

IIPE ALIGNING DEVICE John Gardiner, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 2, 1938, Serial No. 205,565

4 Claims. (Cl. 72-128) The object of the invention is to provide a toggle. This rod may be provided at each end means for rapidly assembling joints of screwed with a ring iii-i9 or other means for attachpipe. ing a pull chain or rod. When the yoke rod is In laying pipe lines under water or in other pulled to the right, the device collapses to the positions in which the relative positions of the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it is free from 5 pipe ends to be assembled are not clearly visible, the pipe and may be withdrawn in either it is difiicult and tedious to properly align the direction. free joint with the line already laid and to In use the device is placed in the end of the insert the pipe in the collar without damaging pipe already laid, with the left end of brake lo the threads. The device herein described and lining strips l5 substantially flush with the end 10 claimed greatly reduces this difficulty and perof the pipe. A sharp pull on ring l8 then exmits the line to be assembled more rapidly and pands and looks it in place. A rod somewhat with no danger of cross threading. longer than the joint of pipe to be attached The invention may best be explained with having its end bent at a right angle is then passed reference to the attached drawings, in which: through the new joint and the bent end inserted Fig. l. is a side elevation of the device in the in ring E8. The joint is then guided into place expanded position in which it is used, a part by the tapering end H and the free end of the being broken away to show internal structure; joint moved until the inner end slips over the Fig. 2 is a similar View of the device in the guides l5, which it cannot do until the joint is 2 closed position ready for withdrawal from the in alignment with the pipe with which it is to 3 pipe; be connected, and the new joint may then be Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device in the closed screwed home without danger of cross-threading. position; A sharp inward movement of the rod then breaks Fig. 4 is a cross section through the device as the toggle joint and collapses the device, which on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and may then be pulled through the new joint to its 25 Fig. 5 is a cross section and internal elevation new position at the outer end. of the device as on the line 5-5 of Fig. l. I claim as my invention:

Referring to the drawings, Ill-l8 are metallic 1. A pipe aligning device comprising two arouelements of arcuate section, tapering as at ate shoes adapted to grip the inside of a pipe il--ii toward a fine end joint l2 by which they and to project from the end thereof, the ends of are hinged together. These elements are so said shoes being bent toward each other and formed that when fully expanded with the faces joined by a hinge to form a tapering element 53-43 parallel they form segments of a cylinder projecting from said pipe, and means for forcibly having an external diameter somewhat less than moving said shoes from and toward each other the internal diameter of the pipe in which they about said hinge, 35 are to be used. To these faces ar r t d ps 2. A structure substantially as defined in claim Of Woven br lining |4|45 of such thickness 1 in which said means for moving includes a pair as to bring the overall diameter slightly above of levers and a pull rod, one end of each Said the internal diameter of the pipe; 50 that the lever being hinged on said pull rod and the other device will lock firmly in place in the pipe when end of each Said level. being hinged on one of expanded said shoes.

Similarly, to the taperin faces lI-ll are attached hardened steel guid e lugs |5- |s which siubstamlauy as define m Glam? 1 give this end of the device a diameter slightly including frlction pads attached to the outside '5 less than the internal diameter of the pipe to of sald guldes for mterlqly gnppmg m f be assembled 4. A structure substantially as defined in claim Between the two sections g o is placed a 1 including hardened steel strips projecting from toggle joint consisting of two arms Iii-l6 pivoted the S11Tfa@e$ 0f Saifi Shoes in the portions p in the elements llllil and a yoke rod I! form- J'ectlng from said P PE- ing the longitudinally moving element of the JOHN GARDINER. 50 

